In the Blink of an Eye
by Claire-Grady143
Summary: Set a few weeks after Jurassic World. Claire and Owen are trying to make it work as a couple, but something major gets in the way. Claire receives threats from a deceased employee's family member. Will Claire set her stubbornness aside and allow Owen to protect her? Or will their bickering cause her to get hurt? This is full of angst! Huge thanks to akajb for giving me the push I n
1. Chapter 1

_**Set a few weeks after Jurassic World. Claire and Owen are trying to make it work as a couple, but something major gets in the way. Claire receives threats from a deceased employee's family member. Will Claire set her stubbornness aside and allow Owen to protect her? Or will their bickering cause her to get hurt? This is full of angst! Huge thanks to akajb for giving me the push I needed to actually write this!**_

The fallout of Jurassic World was now three weeks behind Claire and Owen. Though at times it felt more like Claire had just stepped off the island. Immediately following their safe return from the Indominus attacks, they were torn apart to give their statements. Owen's involvement with the press and interviews were not needed any longer, but Claire, being the operations manager, was in the center of it all.

Claire's phone alarm buzzed on her nightstand, signaling the start of another tedious day filled with answering the same questions over and over again. She groaned and slapped her hand onto the table, feeling around for her phone. Fiddling with it blindly, she finally just turned the phone off, giving up as it fell to the floor.

Owen laughed lightly beside her and reached across her bare stomach to pull her closer to him. She quickly settled against the warmth of his body. His lips moved to kiss softly against the spot just below her ear and whispered, "You know you don't have to go."

Claire hummed as she felt his lips move along her jawline. "But I do." She said, but making no move to get out of bed. Instead she turned her head so her lips could meet his. Both of them moving to immediately deepen the kiss. Claire pulled back, panting, "Ok, maybe a few more minutes." Owen didn't need to hear anymore. He shifted onto his back, pulling Claire fully on top of him.

xxx

Claire stood in the center of the hotel lobby, she quickly learned to not be affected by the flashing lights and cameras around her. She stood tall, only focusing on the events just a few hours before. Tangled in Owen's arms had quickly become her safe place. The one thing that could keep her mind off of the chaos waiting for her outside her hotel room. It seemed that Owen felt the same way, because he was always more than eager to keep her in bed with him. She smiled at the thought of him still laying naked in bed, waiting for her to climb under the blankets, needing to forget the torture she just went through.

"Ms. Dearing," Claire's eyes immediately moved to the man that called out her name. There was something familiar about him, but she immediately brushed it aside. There were a lot of these reporters she has seen over and over again the past few weeks. Though when this one stared at her, his eyes were dark, anger rippling through his body. Unlike the other reporters, he stood empty-handed. No recorder, no camera and no pad of paper. When he spoke his teeth were clenched together, trying desperately to hold back. This only made her stand taller. Most of her life men tried to intimidate her. "do you regret putting your assistant in charge of your nephews? One more responsibility you brushed off that day…" He trailed off as he saw Claire's eyes go wide. She realized where she knew him. He was Zara's fiancé. He threw her a crooked smile as he watched her shift uncomfortably. Not giving her a chance to answer his first question, he pressed on. "How do you feel knowing you should have been the one killed while protecting your nephews instead of your assistant?"

Claire opened her mouth to reply, but a reassuring hand on her arm caused her to snap it shut. Her lawyer, Mrs. Tacuri stepped forward and simply stated, "No comment."

Still feeling his eyes on her, Claire did her best to focus on the other questions being thrown at her.

It wasn't until the final question was asked, and Claire was escorted off the stage, did she find herself scanning the crowd for Alec. Her main focus was wanting to apologize to him. Zara had worked for Claire for almost four years, and she hated the fact that she barely knew who Alec was. She considered herself and Zara friends, sharing a few girls nights at Claire's house, they were close. But not as close as Claire thought as her eyes fell on Alec.

His eyes raked the crowd of reporters trying to follow Claire out of the lobby. She went to call out to him, but the strong hand on her arm guided her into the elevator. Kirk, one of Jurassic World's security guards, let go of Claire's arm when the elevator doors shut. He stayed silent, standing directly in front of the doors. Claire slumped into the corner of the elevator and ran her fingers through her hair. Her main focus would usually be on getting back to the room— getting back to Owen, but she couldn't get the look on Alec's face out of her mind. He was in so much pain, as to be expected. Her heart broke for him. She couldn't imagine receiving that phone call. The call that destroyed ones future—changed the course of their life forever. Zara would never get married.

Claire's thoughts wondered to one night they were sitting on her back porch, Zara had opened up about her dreams of the future. Her and Alec had bought a house on the mainland and were planning on raising a family there. She wanted kids, she wanted to live. Claire quickly swiped her hand across her cheek to wipe away the tear that escaped.

The ding of the elevator doors opening made Claire jump. Kirk stepped out first and held his hand out for Claire to go ahead of him. "Thanks, Kirk." Claire smiled politely and he nodded.

"Have a good rest of your day."

xxx

The soft knock on the hotel room door woke Claire up. She turned in Owen's arms and tapped his shoulder. "Did you hear that?" She whispered.

"No," Owen mumbled, still asleep. "Prolly just a dream. Go back to sleep."

Claire rolled her eyes and slipped out from his grasp easily. His arms plopped down on the bed with a soft thud. She walked quietly out of the bedroom and peered into the peephole on the door. Reaching for the doorknob when she didn't see anyone there, she quickly let go and shook her head. Was she really going to be that stupid and open the door? Isn't that always how someone dies in horror films? Claire shuddered at the thought making a mental note to scold Owen for making her watch that scary movie before they went to bed. Letting her fears of a masked murderer on the other side of the door, she let go of the doorknob and let her arm fall back to her side. She glanced down at her feet, noticing a folded up piece of paper that was shoved halfway under the door.

Quickly bending down to pick it up, her fingers started to shake as she unfolded the paper. She gasped, letting go of the note. It flitted down to the floor, Claire's eyes wide as she stared at the words written on the paper.

_You should be dead. Heartless Bitch._

Her eyes burned as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She refused to blink, afraid of what may happen next. Suddenly very aware of every noise around her, she turned in to someone laughing down the hall and their door shut behind them. The humming of the fridge rang loud in her ears. The darkness of the room making her feel claustrophobic.

"Claire?" Owen's voice floated out from the bedroom, causing Claire to jump a foot in the air. She clapped her hand over her mouth to hold back the scream that was climbing up her throat. "What are you doing?" He asked, his voice getting closer.

She reached down and crumbled up the paper, not wanting to worry him. Turning towards him just as he walked into the living room, she did her best to smile. "Just thought I heard something." She tried her best to keep her voice calm.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, he reached out and took her in his arms. Feeling her trembling he sighed heavily and tightened his hold on her. "I told you it was only a dream. There's nothing here." He shifted, so he had one arm tightly around her and reached for the door with the other. Before Claire could protest, he unlocked it and swung it open. "See, no one. No dinosaurs, no threats, you're safe."

The crumbled up piece of paper burning in her hand, she tightened her fist and nodded. "Sorry," she sighed and brought her forehead down to rest against his shoulder.

"S'okay, now let's go back to bed." Owen slid his hand down her arm and threaded his fingers with hers, leading the way back into the bedroom.

The next morning Claire and Owen sat silently at the small table. Claire nibbled her toast, her mind trying to figure out who put that note under her door. Who knew which room she was in? Her mind stumbled through the questions, unable to answer any of them. "Hey," Owen reached out and placed his hand over Claire's on the table. Surprised she jumped back, but Owen was quicker, he tightened his hand around hers so she couldn't pull away. "Where's your head at?"

Claire shook her head slowly, her eyes dropped to her plate. "Sorry, just…" she trailed off with a shrug.

"That dream really got to you. What was it about?" He asked, staring at her intently, trying to see inside her thoughts.

Claire focused on Owen's fingers now rubbing small circles against the back of her hand. "It's nothing," she sighed.

Owen opened his mouth to try and get her to open up, but she pushed back from the table, grabbing her plate and Owen's empty cereal bowl. "Kirk will be here soon." The statement was more to reassure herself that she had security, but she was also trying to change the subject.

She kept her back towards him as she washed the dishes. She heard him sigh heavily and get up from the table. His arms slipped around her waist, his lips pressed against the skin on her neck. He kissed her there before letting his chin rest on her shoulder. "You know you can talk to me. If something is bother you— and I know something is—I can't help unless I know what's wrong."

Focusing on the running water, she bit her bottom lip, unsure if she should even bother telling him. Not wanting to worry him, she stayed silent, but nodded her head.

"Ok," Owen stepped away from her, his arms dropping to his side. The knock on the door stopped him from what he was about to say. Quickly reminding her that, "we'll talk about this later." As she hurried to open the door for Kirk.

"Later," Claire agreed and swung the door open. This morning's meeting was for employees and families of Jurassic World, so both Owen and Claire followed Kirk to the elevator. Claire focused on the numbers counting down with each floor they passed. Realizing that she did have to tell someone what happened and Kirk was her only means of protection, he needed to know. "Hey, Kirk?"

"Yes?" He turned slightly to look at her.

Claire noticed Owen's focus in her as well and she took a deep breath before speaking. "Has there been any threats you've gotten towards me? Anything from… anyone?"

"What?" Owen gasped, his eyes wide. Claire refused to look at him, her focus on Kirk. He turned fully at her question, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face. "No, Ma'am. Have you?"

Glancing quickly out of the corner of her eye, she saw Owen lean towards her waiting for her reply. "I received a note under my door last night," she reached in the waistband of her skirt and took out the wrinkled piece of paper. Kirk held his hand out eagerly and she handed it over.

Owen snatched the note from his hand and read it with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? This was last night? Did someone give this to you? Did you open the door?" The questions poured from his lips, all jumbled together.

The elevator doors opened before Claire could answer any of the questions Owen threw at her. Kirk started talking into his radio, alarming the rest of security of the note. He ushered Claire through the crowd as he chatted to the other officers.

Owen was quick to slip between Claire and Kirk. His arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders with his other hand stretched out in front of him, ready to shove anyone who stepped in his way. He turned his head slightly so his lips were close to her ear. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you," she glanced at Kirk leading the way through the crowd, "besides I have security."

"Yeah, me. I can protect you better than any guy here."

She went to protest, but Alec stepped through the crowd of reporters, keeping up with Claire. He kept pace with her at the opposite side Owen was on. "Her blood is on your hands, Bitch." he whispered low enough so only she could hear him. Her head snapped in his direction, but he disappeared into the sea of reporters before she could get anyone's attention.

They entered the conference room and Claire, feeling uneasy, looked around the room of employees and families. She would have stumbled forward, her head spinning, if it wasn't for Owen's hold on her. Alec's words echoing in her head. It was him that left the note. He blamed her for Zara's death and she couldn't blame him. Sweat beading up on her brow, she found him sitting towards the back of the room, consoling a woman crying. His eyes met hers and she instinctively looked down at her hands. Her stomach twisted with fear and she spun on her heels, slipping from Owen's grasp. "Claire?" He called after her.

She ignored him, throwing her shoulder into the ladies room door, she hurried into a stall and expelled what little she ate for breakfast. "Claire, you ok?" Owen banged his fist on the door. "I'm coming in!" He yelled when she didn't answer.

"No!" Claire protested. "I'm ok." She washed her mouth out and took a few deep breaths before opening the bathroom door.

Owen's hands were on her, safely tucking her into his side. "I know who it is." She spoke quietly as they walked back to the conference room. Kirk, who had silently been tagging behind them, quickly stepped at the opposite side of Claire.

"Who?" Both men said at the same time.

"Alec. He's…" Claire looked down at her hands as she corrected herself, "He was my assistant, Zara's fiancé."

"Zara?" Owen repeated her name, his eyes going wide when he realized who she was. "The one that was in charge of the boys?" Zach and Gray had informed them of Zara's fate when the group was in the chopper being escorted to the hanger with the other survivors.

Without looking up, Claire nodded. "He thinks I should have been in her place. He's right. I should have never put her in charge of them. It should have been me." Claire didn't realize she was crying until Owen pulled her against his chest and she felt the tears smearing on her cheeks. She let him hold her, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"No. You know what kind of state those boys would be in right now if they watched you die? It wasn't your fault. She was just in the wrong spot at the right time." Owen tried his best to soothe her.

"How do you know it's him?" Kirk asked, his radio in hand.

Claire took a deep breath before speaking. "He was at the press conference yesterday and posed as the press. He asked me about how I felt knowing I should have died instead of her. Then he just told me her blood is on my hands." She instinctively closed her hands into tight fists as if she was, in fact, hiding the evidence.

"Just?" Owen questioned.

Claire nodded. "When we were walking into the conference room."

"Ok, that's it." Owen took the radio from Kirk's hand, cutting him off from relaying the message to the rest of the security around the hotel. "I need this Alec guy. Someone out there—"

Claire yanked the radio from him. "You're overreacting! Stop it!"

"You need to be protected!"

"Adam," Kirk greeted the other security guard who stepped out of the conference room. "He still in there?"

Adam shook his head. "Nope. he must have slipped out. He's not anywhere in the hotel." He looked at Claire with a warm smile. "He's not getting anywhere inside. We will make sure of it."

"Agreed," Owen gave a quick nod. "She's to be out in the spotlight right now. Interrogate someone else. She's done."

"Owen," Claire said through clenched teeth. It wasn't his decision to pull her from interviews or conferences.

He was just being protective, she understood that, but this was not a side of him she'd ever seen before. He was completely focused on her safety which wasn't a bad thing— or so she kept telling herself. It was almost like he flipped a switch and went from being her comforter to her security guard.

Making it back up to their room, he finally let go of her, watching her cautiously as she moved across the room. Their eyes met as she sat on the couch. She smiled softly and patted the cushion beside her. During their short time together, Owen quickly made it a habit to always sit beside her after a long day. Spending the evening curled up on the couch was their new routine. She could easily relax in his arms and it was definitely something she needed at the moment.

"I'm just going to check the floor. Make sure he's not wondering around the halls." He took both room keys and shoved them in his pocket. Quickly shutting the door behind him, he turned to make sure she was safely locked inside. Taking a moment to let his forehead come to rest on the door, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Closing his eyes, he shook his head, trying to get the image of the note out of his head. The words burning into his brain.

He pushed away from the door to start his rounds, checking every hallway on their floor. The moment he found out Claire was being threatened, his feelings for her heightened his need to protect. He could not and _would_ not imagine his life without her. The few weeks they've spent together, he realized just how quickly he was falling in love. Now someone was threatening to take her away from him and he refused to let that happen.

Making it back to the room, he unlocked the door and hesitated when the spot on the couch where he left her was empty. He quickly walked into the bedroom and relaxed when he heard the water running.

Hesitating just outside the bathroom door, he knew they've rarely showered alone and that she'd be expecting him. Owen looked over his shoulder at the hotel room door and his shoulders slumped forward as he dragged his feet back into the living room. Refusing to be distracted and potentially not hearing Alec enter the hotel room, he slumped down on the couch and waited for Claire to get out of the shower. Her safety was more important.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire stepped out of the shower, her tears mixing with the water as she dried her face. She could hear the TV on and knew Owen was back, but why didn't he join her? She tried pushing her thoughts aside as she dressed in her pajamas. Choosing a silk tank and shorts set, she stepped out of the bedroom to try again. Maybe he thought she was almost done with her shower and that's why he didn't join her.

He glanced in her direction quickly when she entered the room, his eyes doing a double take at her outfit. "You didn't join me." She pointed out and sat beside him. Her leg hitched over his as she curled into his side.

Owen patted her leg and lifted it off of his. "We don't need that kind of distraction right now." Trying his best to stay true to his words, he turned his focus on the TV. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her while he was distracted.

"Nobody is getting in here. There's security all over this hotel." She reassured him and reached out to slip her fingers under his shirt.

His fingers locked around her wrist and pulled her hand away from his skin. "Not right now."

Without another word, Claire got up and walked into the bedroom. Now she was sure that something changed between them. She no longer had a boyfriend— not that they were together long enough to even discuss what they were— he was now her personal bodyguard. Angered by his change in attitude, she threw herself onto the bed and made sure to fall asleep with her back towards his side.

Owen watched the time tick by on his watch, knowing if he walked into the bedroom with Claire still awake, he would not be able to deny her if she made any other moves. He tried his best to focus on the movie playing, but found it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

A door down the hall slammed shut, causing Owen to jolt upright. He jumped to his feet, but unsteady at first as he tried to get his bearings. He had fallen asleep, but for how long? Blinking a few times, he tried to get his eyes to focus on his watch. Just after three in the morning. He peeked in at Claire and could just make out her silhouette in the dark. She shifted in her sleep, but didn't wake up.

He stood in the doorway between the living room and bedroom, wondering if he should just go back to the couch and not risk waking her up. Just as he was about to walk back to the couch Claire mumbled his name. Squinting into the dark room he could just make out her hand feeling the empty space where he should be. Her head lifting off her pillow, "Owen?" She sat up and leaned over to turn on her bedside lamp. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I fell asleep on the couch."

"And now?" She wondered, her eyes raking his body and noticing he was still in jeans and a t-shirt.

He pulled his shirt off, searching for a clean one in the dark and changed from his jeans to sweatpants. He slid under the blankets and was expecting Claire to curl into his side like always. Instead she turned her back on him and curled up in a tight ball.

He slept on the couch. She couldn't get the thought out of her head. She needed to be up in a few hours and he spent the majority of the night in the other room. If she didn't catch him at the door would he've gone back to the couch? She closed her eyes, trying desperately to just go to sleep and not think about it anymore.

xxx

"Come on, Claire! Let's get this over with." Owen called out. He stood by the hotel room door, tapping his foot impatiently. He had tried to convince her to stay in the room, but her meeting with some of the lawyers was too important to blow off.

Claire hurried out of the bedroom, concentrating on putting her earring in while slipping on her stilettos. "Let's?" She repeated and took in his stance by the door. "This is just a meeting between the lawyers and the managers. You don't need to be there."

"Like hell I do," he scoffed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Claire rolled her eyes.

Owen opened the door and Claire glanced out in the hall. "Where's Kirk?"

"Downstairs waiting. I'm escorting you down there. You're fine." He informed her. His arm wrapped around her shoulder and she shrugged it off.

"Escorting," She scoffed, "I'm not in any danger. You don't need to shield me right now. It's just us in the hall."

They stood silently as they waited for the elevator. When the doors opened, Claire stepped forward to enter the elevator, but Owen yanked her back. She snapped her head around to look at him, but his focus was on the two men who stepped aside to give them room.

"You going down?" One of them asked and held his finger on the open door button.

"Yes," Claire said at the same time Owen declined.

"No," Owen said again, "we will wait."

Claire waited until the doors close and spun around to fully face Owen, her arms tight against her chest. "They are lawyers! They have no interest in me! God, Owen you're taking this way too far. I can't even ride in the elevator with anyone else?"

"I'm just trying to keep you safe."

She huffed and turned around, slamming her hand down on the elevator call button. It was another minute before the doors opened again. This time the elevator was empty and Owen followed Claire inside.

Inside the meeting, Claire's main focus was on the closed door where she knew Owen was standing. He wasn't allowed inside the room, and he made it clear that he wasn't happy about it, but she couldn't help but feel relieved. She was finally left alone. Claire has never been the type of woman who ever had to rely on a man for anything. Protecting herself was not something she needed help with either. At least not to the extent Owen was.

Once the meeting was over, Claire took her time making her way out of the room. She groaned when she heard Owen calling out for her as he shoved through the suited men and women to find her.

"Hey," Lori, one of the Masrani Board members and also one of Claire's mentors from the moment she joined the Jurassic World team, sat down beside her. "Tough few days, huh." She reached out and patted Claire's arm.

Claire tore her eyes from Owen to smile at the older woman beside her. "You could say that."

Lori reached out and Claire leaned in to the hug. "How are you?"

Claire shrugged. "I'm dealing, I guess. I just want all of this to be over with."

"Claire!" Owen, breathless, hurried over to where they were sitting. "Didn't you hear me calling for you? Why didn't you come out after the meeting?"

Claire glanced at Lori as if to answer his question. "I was talking. This is Lori, she's been working for Mr. Masrani since before I interned at Jurassic World. She helped me get to where I—"

Owen reached out and took her hand, pulling her to her feet and cutting her off, "We need to get out of this crowd."

"Oh, right." Lori stood up and cautiously looked around. "I heard about Alec." She turned to speak to Owen, though he wasn't listening to her. "He's not allowed here. He can't be within ten feet of the hotel. I wouldn't worry."

"I'm not chancing it." Owen grumbled and led Claire towards the door.

"Owen," Claire tried pulling her hand from his, but he tightened his grip. "Owen, stop!" She yelled, but he tugged her along. She dug her heels in and yanked back as hard as she could, slipping from his grasp. "Enough! I can't keep doing this! I don't like this side of you."

"What are you talking about? I'm just trying to protect you, Claire!"

"I have security! You are taking this too far. You wouldn't even touch me last night! I don't even know who you are right now!"

They were screaming back and forth, not paying any attention to the group of people now listening to them.

"Are you that self-centered that you can't see how much I want— no how much I need to make sure you're safe?!"

Claire recoiled as if she was slapped. Self-centered? Did he just call her self-centered? She stepped around him and he caught her arm, but she yanked it away quickly. "Stay away!"

His jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried desperately to control his temper. "I can't do that." His heart pounded in his chest. She couldn't walk away. Couldn't she see how much he loved her? How hard he was falling for her?

"I don't need you to be my security guard!" She was almost screaming, her self-control was slipping, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes.

"Fine!" He growled and lifted his hands to surrender. "I'm done."

Claire froze for a moment. Was that it? Were they broken up even before they had a chance to be together? Not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes, she turned her back on him and walked away, finally letting the tears escape.

She shoved through the lobby doors and breathed in deeply. The fresh hair filling her lungs. When she breathed out it came as a sob. She let herself fall for Owen, but he didn't want her the way she thought.

Claire rounded the corner to find a seat on the hotel's open patio when someone called her name. Not wanting to talk to anyone she ignored them and kept walking. A rough hand gripped her arm and yanked, spinning her around. Gasping, she realized she was face to face and alone with Alec. "Alec," She sobbed, trying to control her tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want Zara to die. You're right! You're absolutely right! I made a mistake. I put her in charge of my nephews and I shouldn't have. She didn't deserve to die! No one that day deserved to die! I'm so sorry!"

"You're right." Alec let go of her arm and she stumbled on her feet. She was losing control of her sobs. "She didn't deserve to die, but you do."

"What?" Claire desperately tried to blink away her tears when she noticed Alec reaching behind him.

xxx

Owen watched Claire walk away. The voice in his head screaming at him to follow her, but he was too stubborn. She didn't want him. She didn't need him.

"She's going through a lot right now." Lori stepped beside Owen, her own gaze locked on Claire's back as she walked out of the building.

"I know," Owen grumbled.

"Hey!" Kirk hurried over to Owen and looked around frantically.

"What?" Owen snapped.

"Where's Claire? Alec was spotted by another employee outside. He's not making any attempt to enter the—" Kirk didn't have time to finish his sentence.

Owen took off running towards the door, a mob of security at his heels. They made it just outside the lobby doors when a large group of people started running towards the parking lot. "He's got a gun!" Someone yelled as she ran by Owen.

He headed in the direction opposite the stampeding crowd and stopped in his tracks as the gunshot rang through his ears.


	3. Chapter 3

"Move!" Owen bellowed as he shoved through the group of people that were trying desperately to run in the opposite direction. Sirens flared as the gunshot still echoed in Owen's ears. His heartbeat pounding hard in his chest. "Claire!" He called out, desperately trying to listen for her to answer him. He needed her to yell at him for following her. He wanted to listen to her scream at him for overreacting. "Claire, please!" He found himself now begging for her out loud. How could he be so stupid! How could he let her walk away!

Finally making it to the scene, Owen stumbled forward. "No! Claire!" He pleaded, falling to his knees beside her. He focused on her stomach where she was shot. Shoving Kirk out of the way, Owen immediately reached into his back pocket and placed his handkerchief over her wound. Using one hand to put pressure on the now blood soaked fabric, he used his other hand to keep track of her pulse.

His senses were slowly coming back as he concentrated on the light thrumming of her pulse against his fingers. "Stay with me," He whispered to her, unsure if she could actually hear him or not.

Paramedics rushed around him to tend to Claire. He stepped away just enough for them to work on her. "Anyone have location on the shooter?" One of the paramedics asked.

Owen's focus changed immediately. He was no longer concentrated on Claire's condition. He was looking for revenge. Owen listened as one of the officers spoke to the paramedics. "He immediately ran off, heading east," listening to his radio he nodded once. "He's in custody."

Owen looked east, where sure enough, an officer was guiding Alec forward. His arms cuffed behind him. "You son of a bitch!" Owen stormed towards him. Three officers appeared at his side, holding him back.

"Not going to do you any good, son." One of them tried reasoning with him.

As much as Owen hated to admit it, the officer was right. Claire needed him. "Claire," he repeated her name out loud and his head automatically turned in her direction.

"She's stable enough to move." One of the officers informed him. They dropped their hold on Owen and he hurried back to her side.

He hurried over to where they loaded Claire onto the gurney and took her hand in his, squeezing softly. He jumped slightly when he felt her squeeze back. His eyes shot to her face and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw her eyes flutter open. "Hey," He did his best to smile and brought his free hand up to swipe the bangs off her clammy forehead.

"Owen…" she croaked, her voice raspy.

"We have to move." One of the paramedics informed them and Claire tightened her hand, as much as she could around Owen's.

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised as he stepped into the ambulance with her. She nodded and closed her eyes, but the statement was meant for the paramedic who was about to tell Owen to meet them at the hospital. The two men locked eyes and the paramedic immediately knew arguing with him was not going to end well.

Stepping out of the ambulance he was immediately pushed aside as doctors and nurses swarmed Claire. She was wheeled away and Owen was instructed to wait in the waiting room. He couldn't move. He couldn't walk away from the spot he last saw Claire. Terrified of what will come next.

He found himself leaning against the brick wall, needing it for support. Sliding down the wall, losing all feeling in his legs, he let himself fall apart. Scared of the last words he would ever speak to Claire were negative. He let her walk away. But why did she have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't she understand this is exactly what he was trying to protect her from? He ran through the last twenty-four hours in his head, trying hard to realize where they went wrong. Closing his eyes, he could almost hear the shower running as he entered the hotel room. He could smell her shampoo as she tried curling up beside him on the couch.

Owen's eyes shot open and he glared down at his hands, balling them into tight fists. The hands that pushed her away. What could possibly be their last night together was spent pushing her away. He let his head fall back and hit the bricks behind him. This was all his fault. He knew just how much he loved her, but he was no longer confident that she knew.

"Mr. Grady?" It seemed like days passed before someone came to find him.

Owen looked up immediately, "Yeah?" He said and jumped to his feet.

"Claire is stable enough for surgery. She's being prepped now… is there anyone you'd like to call?"

Owen shook his head slowly before his eyes went wide, "Yes!" He gasped. "Her sister. I need to call her sister." He patted his pockets realizing he didn't have his phone.

The nurse nodded and gently touched his arm to guide him towards the admit desk. Owen gave all the information he could in order for them to track down Karen. With that out of the way he finally allowed himself to find a chair in the waiting room. His gaze flickered towards the TV and groaned. Well, at least the phone call wouldn't be a surprise to Karen. The news reporters were set up outside the hotel talking about the shooting. Shooting. Owen shuddered.

"Mr. Grady, Mrs. Mitchell would like to speak to you." The elderly woman behind the admit desk held the phone up for Owen.

He jumped up quickly, taking the phone. He could already hear Karen's frantic voice on the other end. "She's ok." Owen spoke softly, not able to find his full voice. He was barely holding himself together.

"Oh, God, Owen. She was shot? How did this happen? I can't get a flight out there until morning. I'm so glad you're with her. Please, please, Owen watch over my baby sister." She sobbed into the phone.

"I'll keep you posted," he managed to get out before reaching over the desk to hang up the phone.

_Watch over my baby sister_. Repeated over and over again in his head. How could he tell her he failed? He couldn't keep her safe. He failed. His head spun as the ringing of the gunshot haunted him. He blinked a few times trying to stay focused. "Mr. Grady, are you alright?" The elderly woman laid her hand gently over his. He looked down realizing he was gripping the edge of the counter.

Clenching his jaw he kept his mouth shut. Of course he wasn't alright! Owen spun around and stormed towards the men's restroom. Once inside, he paced the bathroom trying to get his breathing back to normal. Karen would be here tomorrow and he was going to have to tell her he couldn't protect Claire. He pushed her away.

Gripping the edge of the sink, he glared at himself in the mirror. Finally looking at himself he took note of the blood on his shirt. Looking closer at his hands he noticed the blood there, too. With tears clouding his vision, he turned on the faucet and began scrubbing his hands. Choking on a sob, he tried scrubbing at his shirt, but failed at trying to make the blood disappear.

Owen balled up the stained paper towel and chucked it at the garbage. The wet towel slopped to the floor and he stomped over to pick it up, slamming it into the garbage. Fire burning in his eyes as the tears spilled over, he grabbed the garbage can and tossed it across the bathroom. It clattered against the tile wall and clamored to the ground. He dropped to his knees and let himself cry.

The bathroom door swung open as two security guards rushed in. They immediately recognized Owen and walked silently into the bathroom. While one of them moved to pick up the garbage can the other knelt down in front of Owen. "Is there anyone that could be here with you?"

Owen shook his head. There was no one he wanted but Claire. No one that would take the pain away but her.

"How about a cup of coffee? It's going to be a long afternoon and I'm sure you'd like to stay focused the moment she comes out of surgery." The dark haired security guard stood up and held his hand out to help Owen to his feet.

As much as Owen didn't want to move, he was right. Owen took his hand and let him help him up.

As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, the receptionist was there with a cup of coffee and a warm smile. Owen took the coffee and forced his own smile. He followed her back to the waiting room and sat as far in the corner as he could.

A few hours went by when Owen recognized the doctor that was walking towards the waiting room. Their eyes met and Owen jumped to his feet, meeting the doctor halfway. "How is she? Is she… Did she… Can I see her?" Not caring what state she was in, he needed to see her.

"Claire is out of surgery. She lost a lot of blood. We were able to locate and remove the bullet. No real damage to any of her organs. She got really lucky."

Owen ran his palm down his face and took a deep breath. She was going to be ok. "Can I see her?"

"She's in recovery right now. It'll be a while before she wakes up."

Owen nodded, "I need to see her."

"I understand, but she's not one hundred percent out of the woods yet. She will be moved to the ICU shortly. Why don't you make whatever calls you need to make and I will be back to get you."

Remembering he had to keep Karen updated, he hurried over to the front desk. The receptionist already had the phone on the counter for him and he dialed Karen's number. "Owen?" She answered on the first ring.

"She's ok." Owen breathed into the phone.

He could hear Karen crying on the other end. "Is she awake? Can I talk to her? Are you with her?" The questions poured out, all of them jumbled together.

"She's in recovery. They will come get me when she's in a room." He answered.

"Thank you Owen—" Karen started, but he cut her off.

"Stop. Just stop thanking me." He felt the lump in his throat choking him. Before she could say anything more he hung up the phone, knowing he was going to probably have to explain himself when she arrived.  
Not able to wait any longer, Owen paced back and forth in front of the doors where the doctor disappeared behind. He walked until his legs felt like JELLO. Giving up, he slumped against the wall and settled on starring at the door.

"Mr. Grady?"

"I need to see her." Owen was on his feet. It took all the strength he had left in his body to not barge into the back and search for her himself.

The doctor nodded and motioned for Owen to follow him. "She's still asleep and we expect she will be asleep for a while. She will be able to hear you though, so feel free to talk to her." The doctor paused at the room and turned to face Owen. "I'm Dr. Greene and I'll be on call all night long."

Owen reached out to shake his hand. "Thank you."

Dr. Greene nodded and pointed to a man standing on the other side of the doorway. "This is—"

"Kirk." Owen finished his sentence. He glanced down and noticed he was armed this time.

Kirk nodded once. "I'll be switching out with a few other security guards. No one will enter this room unless you authorize it. The board agreed that this is what Simon would have done for her."

Owen raised an eyebrow, surprised he was placed in charge of something like that. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Owen clapped him on the shoulder and stepped into the dark room. He shut the door behind him and stood frozen as he listened to the heavy silence. The steady beeping of the monitors was the only sound.

He stepped around the curtain and he sucked in a sharp breath. If it weren't for the oxygen mask and wires attached to her, it would be as if she's sleeping. "Oh, Claire," Owen sighed, "I'm so sorry." He took her hand in his and kissed the back of her hand. "You can blame me for this. I blame myself."

Owen reached out and grabbed the chair beside the bed and sat down. Without letting go of her hand, he laid his head down beside her arm and let his eyes close. He wasn't sure what time it was, but having her beside him, he was able to calm down enough to feel exhausted.


	4. Chapter 4

The last twelve hours Owen spent beside Claire. Her body was still as she slept, making no attempt to wake up. Owen sat patiently. Waiting. He had slept for a few hours once reunited with Claire, but he was too anxious to let himself fall into a deep sleep. He didn't want to miss the moment her green eyes opened.

Three hours from entering the room, Owen turned at the light knock on the door. "Be right back." He told Claire and moved to peek around the curtain, blocking any view of her from the doorway.

"Mr. Grady I have Mr. Spence, here." Kirk nodded at the suited man beside him.

Mr. Spence immediately reached out to shake Owen's hand. The two men knowing each other already, Mr. Spence was pretty high up on the Masrani Corp. ladder.

Hesitating for a moment, Owen glanced quickly over his shoulder and sighed heavily. He straightened up and gripped the curtain with one hand, reaching for Mr. Spence's hand with the other. "Look, I know you guys are itching for a story, but she's not even awake yet. I refuse to speak on her behalf. Hell, I refuse to speak on my behalf. She deserves privacy right now. I think we both know you have the power to do that." Owen paused as he watched Mr. Spence nod in agreement. "There is only one other person who needs to be walking through this door, Karen Mitchell. Once Claire wakes up it will be her decision when or even if she wants to speak to anyone else."

"I agree, Mr. Grady. I will be sure your word gets out. I also thought you would like to know that the shooter has pleaded guilty to all charges."

Owen nodded. "Thank you." He shut the door and turned to face Claire. The news should have made him feel better, but it only angered him more. Of course he'd plead guilty! He lost his fiancé and successfully went after his target. He's got nothing more to live for. At least he would rot in a jail cell. Though Owen would have preferred having the chance to bump into him on the street. Sure he felt bad the guy lost someone he loved, but Alec almost took the women he loved away from him and that didn't sit well with Owen. Especially since Claire has been working so hard to make things better.

Breathing in deeply to try and relax himself, he focused on Claire's face. Seeing her look peaceful helped calm him down. He reached out and ran his finger down her cheek, taking in the warmth of her skin. Owen moved his hand back up and this time using the back of his hand to softly move down her cheek. His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on her eyes. Normally this motion would have her stirring in her sleep and her eyes fluttering open. She would smile at him and lean into his touch.

"Come on, Claire." He whispered and leaned over her, this time using both his hands to move along her jawline. "Please." He sighed, letting his forehead touch hers. "I need you, you know. I don't know why that's so hard to admit to you, but I do." He pulled back to look at her face and leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips. "I love you." He whispered so low that almost he didn't hear it. His eyes widened, not expecting himself to say it out loud. Smiling at how it made his heart race to actually speak those words, he leaned down so his lips were at her ear. "I love you. You hear me?" He said again, this time more confident in his words. Disappointed when even admitting his feeling for her, she didn't respond. Maybe it was for the better. Would she hate him when she woke up? Would she not care how much he loved her? Either way he wouldn't blame her.

xxx

The hand soft on his back, rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades, made him squeeze his eyes shut. He knew he had to be dreaming. The hand soft and reassuring was a motion Claire did often whenever she woke up before he did. The hand stilled on his back. "Owen?" The whisper of his name had his eyes opening quickly.

Owen sat up from his slumped over position, his head on the bed beside Claire's hip. "Claire!" He gasped, his excitement quickly fading when she laid, still asleep.

"It's me." Owen jumped to his feet and spun around, alarmed at the voice behind him. Karen wrapped him in a hug before he could register that it was her hand on his back and not Claire. It was her whispering his name. Not Claire.

Clenching his teeth together to try and hold the tears in. He pulled out of her arms quicker than she wanted. She couldn't control her sobs. Owen stepped aside and Karen leaned over her sister, her hands sweeping across her face, her fingers combing through her hair. Finally she dropped into the chair Owen was sitting in and let her forehead drop to Claire's shoulder. "Hey, Claire Bear." Karen cried, wrapping her arms around her sister's shoulders.

Covering his mouth with his hand, Owen found himself failing miserably at hiding his emotions. He didn't know much about Karen, but watching Karen sob over Claire he couldn't help the guilt that ripped through him. He knew he should be trying to console Karen, but he couldn't do it. She is moments away from possibly forcing him out of the hospital room. He wouldn't blame her for making him leave. Claire was here because of him. He understood she would just be protecting her younger sister.

It was when Karen stood up and turned to face Owen, did he realize he had backed himself up to the door. She swiped her hands under her eyes to try to dry her face and walked quickly over to him. "I'm so sorry you had to do all of this on your own." She reached for him, but he flinched away.

His hand shot out, keeping her from hugging him again. He glanced over Karen's shoulder and then over his at the door. He wanted so badly to walk away and find air. He was suffocating, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away from Claire.

"Owen?" Karen took a slow step towards him. Her eyes focused on his face as she slowly reached up and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.

"Karen, don't." Owen said through clenched teeth.

Her eyes went wide and she tilted her head to the side. "Don't what?"

"This," He raised his left hand since Karen still had a hold of the other. With a shaky finger he pointed at Claire, "It's all my fault."

Karen raised an eyebrow and glanced quickly over her shoulder, following Owen's finger. "I'm confused. I thought her assistant's fiancé did it."

Owen shook his head, "No," then at Karen's wide-eyes and her grip on his wrist tightened, he quickly nodded, "I mean yes." He huffed and slumped back against the wall behind him, he dropped both his hands, but Karen still held tight to his right. "It's because of me." He said through clenched teeth.

Karen studied his face and sighed heavily, though she wasn't sure if it was from fear or frustration. "What exactly happened, Owen? Spit it out. My sister is laying in a coma right now. Shot! I need to know." Owen picked up on the frustration in her voice and looked up to meet her eyes. His heart dropped into his stomach and he couldn't hold back the tears. The look Karen was giving him was identical to Claire's when she would get mad at him. Green eyes glared at him.

"We…" Owen squeaked and quickly cleared his throat. "We got into a fight. She was getting overwhelmed by my fixation on keeping her in my sight…" He trailed off when he caught a hint of a smile on her face and she nodded slowly. "What?" He asked, wondering what he said that would have her smiling.

"That's my sister. She thinks she can handle the world on her own." Karen shrugged, dropped her grip on Owen and turned to face Claire. She leaned against the wall beside Owen.

Owen rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement. "Right, but maybe she was right. Maybe I was acting more of a body guard than a boy—" He cut himself off, not comfortable with calling himself her boyfriend right now. Not in front of Karen.

"So you argued and…" Karen thought for a moment and watched Owen look down at his hands. "She walked away." She concluded.

Owen nodded without looking up at her.

"She flipped out and walked away. Is that… is that when it happened?"

Owen shoved away from the wall and paced the floor in front of Karen. He nodded again without a single word.

"And you blame yourself because she walked away. She left your side and the asshole got his chance."

"God Dammit, Karen! Yes!" He stopped pacing, anger boiling through him. "We fought, she left and I let her go. I got the alert that he was outside seconds after she walked out the door. I tried getting to her! I can still hear the gunshot! I can't get it out of my head!" He didn't realize he was shaking until Karen pulled him into a tight hug.

Her hands did the familiar circles on his back and he dropped his forehead to her shoulder, unable to hold back anymore. Karen stood strong, holding up most of Owen's weight as he cried. She waited to speak until his body relaxed. "Can I tell you something about my sister?"

Owen lifted his head and took a deep breath.

"Claire has always been very stubborn. Even as a kid. She never played sports because she couldn't follow other's rules. She has always walked to the beat of her own drum. It's how she was able to be so successful at Jurassic World. If it's not Claire's way, it's the wrong way."

"That I know," Owen smiled, breathing in deeply to calm himself down.

"Of course Claire didn't handle being escorted around by you, but us Dearing women have a hard time communicating." Karen glanced down at her wedding band and took a deep breath before continuing. "Our paren't divorced when Claire was in college. I sent the boys off to Jurassic World to get a divorce." She looked back up at Owen and took his hands in hers. "This is not your fault. She would have found a way to get away from the secret service. I've known my sister all her life. She doesn't blame you."

Owen shook his head. "You don't know that. You weren't there."

"Maybe I wasn't there, but I know what you've done for her. She'd never admit it and she'll deny she ever told me, but you've been her rock through all of this. She has never admitted to feeling lost without relying on someone, but she feels that way with you."

"She told you all this?"

Karen winked, "I am her big sister."

They fell silent and both their gaze fell on Claire. They watched her for a few minutes. Maybe Karen was right. Maybe Claire won't blame him.

xxx

Karen and Owen took turns sitting beside Claire in the chair. The other would pace the room. Sleeping was easy to figure out. They took turns on the large lounge chair in the corner of the room. The nurses had brought blankets in when Owen first got there, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Claire's side to sleep. It was easier now with Karen there.

He could see the similarities in them. Karen immediately took the lead with handling the doctors and nurses that walked in the room to check on Claire. The way she spoke, strong and confident, even though she broke down once they were alone in the room.

"Why don't you get some sleep." Karen's voice caused Owen to jump. He was sitting in the chair beside Claire, his hand clutched tightly around hers.

"I—" He started, but she cut him off.

"I can tell by the dark circles under your eyes that you haven't had any sleep. I promise I will wake you up if anything changes."

He went to argue, but Karen folded her arms tight against her chest and the look in her eyes was daring him to argue with her. "Ok," he sighed and got up to move to the lounge chair.

Karen settled in the chair beside Claire and flipped through the channels on the TV. Owen relaxed, listening to the sitcom Karen settled on. It was nice not listening to the sound of the monitors. He wondered why he never thought to turn on the TV before.

The comedy seemed to lift the tension in the room and both Karen and Owen seemed to relax more. Owen finally able to close his eyes, the

"You know, Claire broke her arm once when she was seven."

"Oh?" Owen mumbled, half asleep, but interested in the story Karen was offering to share.

"Mmhmm…" Karen hummed and let out a snicker before continuing, "I was eleven and our parents trusted me to watch her for a few hours. They were going out to dinner and I felt I was too old for a babysitter." Karen shrugged and reached out to poke Claire's arm. "Mom and dad agreed on letting me stay home without a babysitter and Claire was mad because she was going to be dropped off at the sitter's house." Karen leaned back in the chair and relaxed as she continued her story. "She wanted to stay with me and I convinced our parents I was old enough to look after her…" Karen took a deep breath, "I told her it was time to come inside, but she decided she was going to play outside a little longer. She tried hiding from me by climbing this huge tree we had in the back yard. I climbed up after her, but the branch we were on was too weak to hold us both. I was close enough to the trunk to hold on, but she was too far out. It took me months to get the sound of her scream out of my head."

Owen opened his eyes to look at Karen when she stopped talking. She was smiling at him.

"No one is perfect, Owen. She doesn't always make the right decision, but she's got a heart of gold. My parents were so mad at me, but she was first to admit that it wasn't my fault she broke her arm. I was grounded because of it, and I remember she walked into my room with a handful of sharpie markers." Karen smiled at the memory and Owen couldn't help but smile along with her. "We turned her cast into a mural of different animals. She stayed with me the whole time I was grounded."

"Thanks, for sharing that, Karen." Owen chuckled, "Good to know at seven she couldn't be handled."

They both laughed and fell into a more comfortable silence as Owen fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Karen yawned and leaned back in her chair. Owen was finally sleeping soundly. She had glanced over at him when she heard him snore lightly. Smiling at his sleeping frame. She didn't realize just how much he loved her sister, but she couldn't have been more satisfied knowing the lengths he'd go through to keep her safe. Looking at Claire, she shifted her chair closer to the bed and leaned her elbows on the bed beside Claire's head. "You know, Claire Bear, you've got a good one here. That man over there is crazy about you." Karen leaned closer until her lips were at Claire's ear. "Hear me? Wake your ass up and tell Owen this isn't his fault." She leaned back in her chair with a huff and shook her head before glancing back over at Owen. "I tried telling him, but he will only listen to you right now."

Karen fell silent as she watched Claire's chest rise and fall as she breathed. She shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her sister's ear. "Not listening to me, as always." She sighed, kicked her feet up on the bed and got comfortable in the chair to watch tv.

"Stop." Karen mumbled when something hit her foot. She blinked a few times and sat up straight when she realized she had fallen asleep. The weak moan coming from beside her had her on her feet.

Claire shifted and squeezed her eyes shut as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Claire!" Karen quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and moved to do the same to her sister. "Why are you crying? Honey, are you in pain?" Her hands hovered over Claire as she watched her struggle to lift her hand and point to her stomach. "Ok, sweetie." Karen reached over her sister and pressed the call button. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, "Owen!"

He snored and turned his head away from her.

"Owen!" She growled.

"What's wrong?" A nurse hurried into the room.

Karen moved to the side, but kept Claire's hand in hers. "She's waking up, but she's in pain. Give her something." She demanded and spun back to face Owen again. "Owen!" She yelled.

The nurse hurried out of the room and within seconds the doctor followed, immediately administering medication. Claire's body relaxed and she blinked a few times before squinting into the dark room as if she was stepping out into the sunlight.

"Karen?" Claire croaked, trying to clear her throat.

Karen's face scrunched up and she nodded. "Yeah, you've been out for a while. I'll get you water… just hold on…" she reached for the extra pillow on her chair and chucked it across the room. It hit Owen in the face and he sprung up.

"What the hell?" Owen rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.

"He can sleep through anything." Claire whispered, not able to get her voice any higher. This caught Owen's attention and he stumbled across the room.

"You're awake!" As much as she hated it, Karen backed away from Claire while Owen took over.

Claire looked away from Owen, taking in the fact that she wasn't anywhere she recognized. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Owen's eyebrow raised as he watched Claire look around the room. "You—" he swallowed hard. "You don't remember?"

Claire thought for a moment and was quick to narrow her eyes at Owen. "We were…" She trailed off when she noticed the pain in his eyes. "Wait," she tried to sit up, but the pain was too intense, so she lifted her hand to touch the tear that was trickling down his cheek. "You're crying?"

Owen quickly took her raised hand in his and kissed her palm. "I'm so sorry, Claire."

"For what?"

"All of this. I shouldn't have let you walk away."

With her free hand she gently laid it over her stomach. The fear in her eyes matching Owen's. It was his turn to wipe away her tears. "Alec… He was outside. I tried apologizing to him. I told him it should have been me and not Zara…" she trailed off and turned her face into Owen's hand on her cheek.

Owen's jaw clenched. "You talked to him?"

Closing her eyes and pressing her face further against his palm, Claire nodded. "He said I was right. It should have been me. Then…"

Owen felt her tremble and he moved the hand against her cheek, rubbing his thumb soothingly across her skin. The rustling behind Owen had him tense and he turned to see Karen coming up behind him with a container of water and a cup. She laid a hand reassuringly on his back and stepped around the bed. "Here," she said and held the cup out to Claire, steadying the straw so she could drink.

Claire closed her eyes, enjoying the way the cold water soothed her throat. Warm hands swept softly across her forehead and she smiled. "Always the caretaker." Claire said without opening her eyes.

"I'm the big sister, that's my job."

Claire opened her eyes and her face fell serious. "Why are you here? I mean I appreciate it, but the boys need you." She hated that once again because of her she was separated from her sons.

Karen rolled her eyes. "Always thinking of others before yourself. They are home with Scott.

The three fell into an uncomfortable silence. So much Owen wanted to say, but not in front of Karen. Karen knew she needed to let Claire know what Owen went through and also to hear her sister's side of the story. Claire, needing to speak to both her sister and Owen, but unsure of which one to talk to first. She had so many questions. Each of them glanced quickly at the others with a soft smile.

Claire shifted in bed and groaned. Both Owen and Karen took a step towards her. "I'm fine." She huffed and gave up trying to get comfortable. Owen immediately backed off, but Karen ignored her sister's objection to be helped. She found the bed remote and handed it to Claire so she could adjust the bed to where she wanted it. Then moved the tray table over so she could get her own drink if she needed it.

It took no time for Claire to finish the water in the bucket and just as Karen went to jump on the opportunity to ask Owen to get more, the doctor and a nurse came in to check Claire's vitals. Giving Claire her privacy, Owen stepped out of the room voluntarily.

"You don't have to stay in here." Claire told her sister, but Karen rolled her eyes and took her hand.

"I birthed two kids, removing iv's and a catheter is not going to scare me."

Claire laughed and immediately regretted it.

"Sorry!" Karen said quickly, rubbing Claire's shoulders to help her relax.

Claire kept her eyes closed as the doctor moved around her to remove any unnecessary wires.

Once he was finished, Claire opened her eyes and let out a long sight of relief of being free from the wires and IVs. "Can I shower?" Claire wondered.

"I don't want you up walking around just yet." Dr. Greene informed her. "I can have the nurse sponge—"

"No thanks." Claire cut him off quickly. There was no way she was going to have some nurse sponge bathe her.

"Can I do it?" Karen asked the doctor.

They both looked down at Claire. "Fine." She groaned.

The doctor stepped out of the room and approached Owen in the hall. "Mrs. Mitchell is helping Claire get washed up. She'll be done soon."

Owen nodded and after a quick update on Claire's condition the doctor hurried away to check on his other patients.

Owen hesitated at the door, his hand on the handle, but wasn't sure if he was wanted, or needed. He let his hand drop to his side and ignored Kirk's gaze as he slumped down against the wall to wait for Karen to come get him. He was hopeful for a few minutes, hoping Claire would choose him to help over Karen. Shaking his head as the time drug on, he knew that probably wouldn't happen. The look in Claire's eyes when she spoke of their fight. He hurt her.

"Did I hear correctly?" Kirk's voice pulled Owen from his thoughts. "She's awake?"

He looked up at Kirk and sighed heavily, his gaze moving back to the closed door. "She is."

"Cops have been itching for a statement from her."

Owen locked eyes with Kirk. "As far as they are concerned, she's still asleep."

"You got it."

"Thanks."

Even though her stomach hurt, Claire managed to do most of the cleaning herself while Karen assisted when she needed her. "You can have Owen in here helping you instead of me, you know."

Claire glanced at the closed door and shrugged. "I don't think he'd want to."

Karen tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

"The last time I tried…" Claire trailed off as she thought back to the night he opted to not get in the shower with her, pushed her away from him on the couch and then slept in the living room most of the night. She shook her head and decided to change her sentence. "I just don't think he's interested in me… any of me. At least not anymore."

Karen rolled her eyes. "That's a load of crap."

Claire pulled the towel up to cover herself. "Excuse me? Were you there when I was basically throwing myself at him and he chose to play guard dog?"

Folding her arms against her chest, Karen let out a long sigh, "I'm sure you're reading into it too much. The guy is crazy for you! He hasn't left your side. I've never seen someone so beat up by themselves. When I got here he was a complete mess." She watched Claire carefully as she concentrated on what her sister was telling her. "He cried, Claire. He completely broke down and cried on my shoulder. He blames himself for what happened."

"What?!" Claire gasped.

Karen nodded slowly. "He thinks you blame him."

"I don't."

"You don't need to tell me that."

Claire glanced over to the door once more and took a deep breathe. "Can you go find him?"

Karen leaned over and kissed Claire's temple before moving towards the door.

Owen was on his feet as soon as the door opened and Karen stepped aside. "She's asking for you."

Owen pointed to himself, more surprised by the statement than he expected. "Me?" he questioned.

Karen motioned for him to go in. "I'm going to go for some coffee."

"Coffee?" Kirk perked up at the word.

Karen clapped him on the shoulder as she walked by. "I'll bring you one, big guy."

Owen closed the door behind him and watched Claire as she grunted and groaned when her outstretched hand couldn't quite reach the clean hospital gown at the end of the bed. "Here," Owen said and hurried over to help.

She looked down at her towel, still held up by one hand and then to Owen. He immediately took in her body language and placed the gown down on her lap. "I'm sorry, I can turn around."

Claire reached for him with her free hand and letting the towel drop out of her other. "No, it's fine."

Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he reached for the gown and helped her slip it on. She smiled warmly at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

Owen saw the brush Karen laid out on the tray table and reached for it. He sat on the edge of the bed and Claire couldn't help but lean into him as he began to brush her hair.

"I'm sorry," Claire whispered. Her eyes closed as she let the soothing way Owen was brushing her hair calm her.

"You better not be apologizing for what I think you are." He warned.

Claire shrugged.

Owen sighed and let the brush fall to his lap. He shifted on the bed so he was sitting beside Claire and pulled her further into his side. They fell silent, Owen unsure where to even begin. She was apologizing to him? Karen was right. She didn't blame him, but why was she blaming herself?

"I'm glad you're here." Claire broke the silence.

"Of course. Claire, I didn't mean to push you away. The only thing that was going through my mind was the possibility of losing you. It was hard to focus on anything else."

She shook her head slowly, looking down at her hands. "I get that, but Owen, this isn't your fault. I got aggravated. I just needed some fresh air. Damn," Claire laughed and turned to look at Owen. "we're too stubborn."

Owen couldn't help but laugh along with her, nodding his head in agreement. "We really need to work on our communication."

"That, too." Claire agreed.

"Hey," Owen cupped Claire's face in his hands and turned her head until she was looking at him. "don't scare me like this again. I love you too much."

"I won't… wait," Claire's eyes grew wide as the last five words he spoke registered in her mind. "what did you say?"

"I love you," he smiled and leaned in to kiss her. That's the third time I've said that to you.

Claire raised an eyebrow. "When was the first?"

"I was trying to get you to wake up."

"Well then that doesn't count."

Owen laughed and kissed her once more. "Why not?"

"Because I didn't get a chance to say I love you back."


End file.
